EP1255530A2

EP1255530A2 - Cosmetic or medicinal composition containing sesquiterpene lactone or the like for treating hair-growth related disorders, and preparation method

Info

Publication number: EP1255530A2
Application number: EP01907830A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Daniel Jean; Léon Cariel
Original assignee: L M D
Current assignee: L M D
Priority date: 2000-02-18
Filing date: 2001-02-16
Publication date: 2002-11-13
Also published as: WO2001060326A2; US20040115289A1; FR2805158B1; AU2001235706A1; WO2001060326A3; JP2003522779A; FR2805158A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a cosmetic or medicinal composition for topical application. The invention is characterised in that said composition comprises as active principle at least a sesquiterpene lactone, such as for example helenalin, dihydrohelenalin, parthenolide, and cnicin, or a sesquiterpene lactone analogue in a physiologically acceptable medium and suitable for topical application.

Description

"COSMETIC OR MEDICINAL COMPOSITION

CONTAINING SESQUITERPENIC LACTONE OR THE LIKE

TO TREAT DISORDERS RELATED TO PILAR GROWTH, AND

ITS PREPARATION PROCESS "

The present invention relates to a more particularly cosmetic composition, intended for the treatment of alopecia and related conditions, the use of a composition for the manufacture of a medicament for treating these disorders, a process for the preparation of said compositions, as well as a cosmetic treatment process

Hair loss can be caused by various causes such as age, pathology (pityriasis capitis), external aggression (discoloration or dyeing) It can be local or generalized, and can cause a simple aesthetic inconvenience or constitute a real pathology

A number of products have been proposed in the past to stimulate hair growth in both men and women, but none to date has resulted in a net result in a significant proportion of the population subjected to treatment.

It has been proposed irritants (capsaicin) or vasodilators (pilocarpine) and also more recently antihypertensive molecules

(minoxidii and derivatives) The latter products have been shown to cause hypertrichosis in patients treated for hypertension systematically and stimulates hair growth topically in patients with early or older alopecia.

However, these effects were positive in a minority of patients and relatively discreet in all cases.

In addition to these products placed on the cosmetics and pharmacy market for their real or supposed effects on the hair, we can also cite the case of immunosuppressive molecules, cyclospoπne and FK506 (fungal macrolide) which have a similar effect.

Cyclosporine is active systemically and locally, while FK506 is only active locally.

These products also clearly induce hair growth in the black C57 / BI6 mouse which is the reference animal for screening studies of active molecules on hair growth. This induction of growth is manifested by a transition from the telogen phase of the hairs to the anagen phase which is easy to observe and measure thanks to the pigmentation of the hairs while the skin of the mouse in the telogen phase is not or only slightly pigmented.

However, the immunosuppressive effects of cyclosporine and FK506 do not allow their use in cosmetics or even in aesthetic medicine. Since the depression of the local immune system can induce serious skin disorders such as cancer or opportunistic infections, these products are hardly usable in these areas.

Consequently, it would be very useful to have products capable of having a net effect on hair growth in order to treat in particular the androgenic alopecia which represent one of the most important aesthetic problems in humans

This is why the present invention relates to a composition intended for topical application, in particular cosmetic application, characterized in that it comprises, as active principle, at least one sesquiterpene lactone or an analog of sesquiterpene lactones in a suitable physiologically acceptable medium. for topical application, said composition being more particularly intended for treating alopecia, stimulating hair growth, stimulating hair growth and / or treating seborrheic states as well as related states

By “physiologically acceptable medium suitable for topical application” is meant a medium compatible with the active principle and acceptable in cosmetics or in pharmacy, in particular compatible with the skin and the scalp.

The sesquiterpene lactones which can be used in the compositions according to the present invention are in particular described in “Pharmacognosy, Phytochemistry and Medicinal Plants” of BRUNETON J, Edition Lavoisier, PARIS 2 ^nd edition 1993, pages 499-510

By “sesquiterpene lactone analogues” within the meaning of the present invention is meant the derivative or substituted forms of these lactones having an alpha-methylene-gamma-lactone group, as well as their bioequivalent derivatives defined by the compounds having an active structure having properties vis-à-vis the hair growth (that is to say favoring the passage of the hair from the anagen phase to the telogen phase) similar to those highlighted in the present text for the helenalme, the dehydrohélénation, parthenolide and cnicin According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the sesquiterpene lactone is preferably chosen from the group consisting of helena ne, dihydrohélénahne, parthenohde, cnicine and their derivatives, by “derivatives” is meant essentially esters, in particular the fatty acid esters of these lactones

Sesquiterpene lactones are especially present in plant extracts, in particular in Asteracae and in particular in extracts of Arnica montana, Tanacetum parthenium and Cnicus benedictus This is why the invention also relates to a composition intended for topical application, in particular cosmetic, containing as active principle an extract of plant rich in sesquiterpene lactone, in particular of a plant of the plant species of the Asteracae family, for example Arnica montana, Tanacetum parthenium and Cnicus benedictus Preferably, the extract of plant is an extract of the flower for Arnica Montana and the extract of flowering aerial parts for Tanacetum parthenium and Cnicus benedictus

These extracts obtained from different plant species of the Asteracae family all contain compounds belonging to the chemical family of sesquiterpene lactones.

Quite surprisingly, these substances of plant origin have been found to have a very marked effect on the induction of the anagen phase of the hair in rabbits or in C57 / B16 mice.

These lactones are known to have different pharmacological properties related to the anti-inflammatory or anti-tumor effect, but it has never been reported that these molecules could have any effectiveness on hair cycles or hair growth Without wishing to be linked to any theory, the biological efficacy in general of these substances is to relate to the presence of certain functional groups within the molecule and in particular the alpha-methylene-gamma-lactone group

Although the active principles according to the present invention can be obtained by chemical synthesis or by hemisynthesis, plant extracts rich in sesquiterpene lactones are preferably used

This is why the present invention also relates to processes for the preparation of plant extracts rich in sesquiterpene lactones, in particular extracts of Asteracae obtained by a process comprising the following steps a) extraction of at least part of the plant, in particular flowers and aerial parts of plants of the Asteracae family, by means of a hydro-organic solution containing an organic solvent miscible with water, followed by the evaporation of said solvent and b) extraction of the resulting aqueous phase using an organic solvent immiscible with water, then c) recovering the extract contained in said organic phase

In the implementation of the process as described above, the part of the plant extracted will preferably be the flower or the aerial parts richer in sesquiterpene lactones. The organic solvent miscible with water used for the first decoctions is chosen from the alcohols containing from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran and acetone This solvent is preferably a low molecular weight alcohol such as methanol, ethanol or an alcohol containing 3 to 5 carbon atoms, even more preferably ethanol will be used. The solution containing water and an organic solvent miscible with water preferably contains from 40 to 60% of water by weight. Stage a) may comprise several extractions

The extraction of the aqueous phase obtained is preferably carried out with an organic solvent immiscible with water chosen from ethers such as ether ethyl, other organic solvents can nevertheless be used, such as for example methylene chloride, chloroform and ethyl acetate.

An organic phase is then obtained containing the extract rich in sesquiterpene lactones which will be optionally purified, in particular by chromatography and for example by re-solution and chromatography of the solution.

Chromatography can in particular be carried out using a silica gel as support after fixing the active principle in an alkane type medium such as hexane and then elution using a chlorinated solvent such as chloroform for example.

It is possible to carry out an additional or alternative purification step using preparative chromatography, for example using a lipophilic gel (Sephadex LH20) as a support in a medium of hydro-organic solution such as 50% methanol. , then elution with this same hydro-organic solution or another hydro-organic solution such as 70% ethanol or pure organic such as acetone.

Other purification methods can, of course, be used to purify extracts rich in sesquiterpene lactones.

The topical compositions, in particular cosmetic compositions, according to the present invention may of course be in the forms which are usually known for this type of administration, that is to say in particular lotions, foams, gels, dispersions, sprays or creams for example, but also can be administered in shampoos, with excipients allowing in particular skin penetration to improve the properties and accessibility of the active ingredient. These compositions essentially intended for topical application contain, in addition to the active principle, plant extract for example, a physiologically acceptable medium, generally based on water or solvent, for example alcohols, ethers or glycols

The compositions according to the present invention preferably contain from 0.001 to 10% by weight of sesquiterpene lactone

These compositions can also contain - surfactants,

- preservatives,

- stabilizing agents,

- emulsifiers and

- thickeners

These components are known in the cosmetic field, in particular for the production of compositions for the treatment of hair loss.

The present invention further relates to a cosmetic treatment method such as topically applied, in particular to the scalp, a cosmetic composition comprising at least one sesquiterpene lactone according to the invention and preferably containing an extract rich in sesquiterpene lactones obtained from a plant in the Asteracae family in order to improve the aesthetics of the hair and / or treat alopecia

The present invention also relates to compositions containing sesquiterpene lactones as well as the extracts described above in a pharmaceutical type application, these will in particular be cases where alopecia or seborrheic states have a pathological character. Thus, the present invention also relates to the use of a composition containing at least one sesquiterpene lactone or an analog of sesquiterpene lactones for the manufacture of a medicament intended for treating alopecia, seborrheic states, stimulating hair growth and capillary growth or related states when these have a pathological character

The compositions containing at least one sesquiterpene lactone mentioned above can of course be obtained as has been described in the case of cosmetic applications

It will be, as has been said previously, preferably sesquiterpene lactones chosen from the group consisting of helenahne, dihydrohélénahne, parthenohde, cnicine and their derivatives, among these derivatives should be mentioned more particularly the esters and in particular the fatty acid esters of these lactones

The drugs containing these active ingredients may be in forms suitable for their administration, that is to say in particular lotions, creams, sprays or possibly if necessary may be presented in forms of injectable form, especially intradermal

Finally, the present invention relates to plant extracts from the Asteraceae family rich in sesquiterpene lactones as they can be obtained by the process described above.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will result from reading the examples below EXAMPLE 1.

One kilo of dry flowers of Arnica montana is extracted by 4 reflux decoctions for 30 minutes in 5 liters of ethanol at 50% water. The extractive solutions are combined and the alcohol is evaporated.

The aqueous phase is concentrated to one liter and extracted against the current with ethyl ether until the ether no longer contains any significant residue on evaporation The ethereal phase is dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and evaporated 9 g of residue are obtained (product 1)

EXAMPLE 2.

Ten grams of product 1 are dissolved in suspension in 10 ml of hexane and 1 g of silica gel 60 is added to a flask for column chromatography. The hexane is evaporated to dryness with constant stirring to ensure perfect homogenization of the whole

A chromatography column is then produced with silica gel 60 in hexane 4 cm in diameter and 20 cm in height. The mixture produced 1-chloroform gel is placed on the surface of the gel. The fraction which is eluted is collected. with chloroform The chloroform is evaporated off A residue of 0.19 g is obtained (product 2)

EXAMPLE 3.

Preparative chromatography of product 2 is carried out on a silica layer with the following solvent toluene - ethyl acetate 70-30 (v / v)

The support part is taken between Rf 0.55 and Rf 0.75 where we can observe yellow-greenish spots The silica thus obtained is extracted 4 times at reflux with 50 ml of pure methanol The methanol is evaporated at dry

40 mg of residue are obtained (product 3) PRODUCT ANALYSIS.

The three products are analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer

- HP5 MS column 5% phenyl methyl siloxane

- Helium carrier gas, constant flow rate of 1 ml / min

- Temperature program 150 ° C for 5 minutes, then increase by 5 ° C 7 minutes to 250 ° C

- Total ion current detection between 50 and 500 ionic mass

The spectra relating to the various components show the majority presence of sesquiterpene lactones helenahne, dihydrohélénahne and their derivatives. According to the studies described in the bibliography, they are probably fatty acid esters and of these lactones.

By this chromatography method, it could be shown that products 1, 2 and 3 respectively contain 17.5%, 42.6% and 43% by weight of helenahne + dihydrohelenahne relative to the mass of the total composition

The purification provided between products 2 and 3 mainly consists of the elimination of chlorophyll pigments (discoloration)

PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDY.

1. Rabbit test.

Male rabbits, at least 12 weeks of age, and identical age are used so that the hair of the latter is in the telogen phase, which can be verified by shearing the animals. The products to be tested are placed in solution in pure ethanol at a concentration of 25% (w / v) Then, a 1/10 dilution of this solution is carried out with sweet almond oil. an active product concentration of 2.5%

0.2 ml of these solutions are deposited on a gauze applied to the skin and a control is also deposited obtained by preparing the same solvent as that which served to dissolve the active ingredients. The products and the control are left in contact with the skin. for 15 minutes, then the gauze is removed The treatment is carried out for 2 days at the rate of three applications per day at four hour intervals

The difference between the average time taken by the hair to grow on the treated parts and the control parts is then evaluated.

For the three products used, there is a difference of more than 2

However, the growth is faster for products 2 and 3 than product 1

As there is a clear enrichment in sesquiterpene lactones from product 1 to products 2 and 3, it can be concluded that these substances are responsible for the activity

A solution containing 1% of pure commercial parthenohde (Aldπch ref 38 428-3) and a solution containing 1% of pure commercial cnicin (Extrasynthesis ref 8725), are prepared in the same excipient as the extract of Arnica montana and subjected to rabbit test There is a growth of hair roughly equivalent between the extract of Arnica and the parthenohde and a growth about two times lower for cnicine

2. Tests on the C57 / BI6 mouse.

We use female mice of 5 weeks of age all identical The mice are shorn on the back so as to make the hair invisible

0.2 ml of one of each product is deposited in the same solvent as for the test on rabbits and at the same concentration, on the back of the mice

We thus carry out a test by comparison between different mice unlike the rabbit test where the same animal represents its own control

The product is placed on the back without using gauze once a day for 5 days straight

It is found that in the treated mice, the hair grows very quickly

It becomes visible from the second day of treatment to reach approximately 1 mm from the third day, while the hair does not start to grow in the control mice until the third week after the start of the treatment.

As for the rabbit, we find that the effect is more marked for products 2 and 3 than product 1

A solution containing 1% of pure commercial parthenohde (Aldπch ref 38,428-3) and a solution containing 1% of pure commercial cnicin (Extrasynthesis ref 8725), are prepared in the same excipient as the extract of Arnica montana and subjected to the test. on the rabbit There is a growth of hair roughly equivalent between the extract of arnica at 2.5% and the parthenohde at 1% and a growth about twice less for the cnicine at 1%

These results show that the compositions studied are effective for the treatment of pathologies linked to hair disorders.

EXAMPLE 4.

We extract one kilo of flowering aerial parts of

Tanacetum parthenium by four reflux decoctions for 30 minutes in 5 liters of ethanol at 50% water

Extractive solutions are combined and the alcohol is evaporated

The aqueous phase is concentrated to one liter and extracted against the current with ethyl ether until the ether no longer contains any significant residue on evaporation.

The ethereal phase is dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated

26 g of residue are obtained

The ethereal phase is taken up in one liter of methanol at 50% water and passed through a column 5 cm in diameter containing 100 g of Sephadex LH20 suspended in 50% methanol.

Eluted with three liters of the same solvent The solvent is evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure

10.5 g of residue are obtained

This residue is subjected to analysis by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer

- HP5 MS column 5% phenyl methyl siloxane

- Helium carrier gas, constant flow rate of 1ml / min - Temperature program 150 ° C for 5 min, then increase by 5 ° C / min until 250 ° C

- Total ion current detection between 50 and 500 ionic mass The spectra relating to the various components show the majority presence of sesquiterpene lactones: parthenohde, seco-tanapartholide A, canine, tanaparthine-alpha-peroxide and their derivatives.

Furthermore, a quantification carried out with a parthenolide control of commercial origin (AIdrich ref 38,428-3) indicates that the final extract contains 32% parthenolide.

EXAMPLE 5.

One kilogram of aerial flowering parts of Cnicus benedictus is extracted by four reflux decoctions for 30 minutes in 5 liters of methanol at 60% water. The extracting solutions are combined and the methanol is evaporated.

The aqueous phase is concentrated to 0.5 liters and extracted against the current with ethyl ether until the ether no longer contains any significant residue on evaporation.

The ethereal phase is dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and evaporated. 10.7 g of residue are obtained.

The ethereal phase is taken up in one liter of methanol at 50% water and passed through a column 5 cm in diameter containing 100 g of Sephadex LH20 in suspension in 50% methanol. Eluted with three liters of the same solvent.

The solvent is evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure.

620 mg of residue are obtained.

This residue is subjected to analysis by gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer:

- Column: HP5 MS 5% phenyt methyl siloxane

- Carrier gas: helium, constant flow of 1 ml / min - Temperature program: 150 ° C for 5 min, then increase by 5 ° C / min up to 250 ° C.

- Detection: total ion current between 50 and 500 ionic mass.

The spectra relating to the various components show the majority presence of sesquiterpene lactones: in particular cnicin and its derivatives. Furthermore, a quantification carried out with a control of cnicin of commercial origin (Extrasynthèse ref 8725) indicates that the final extract contains 41% of cnicin.

Claims

1. Composition intended for topical application, characterized in that it comprises, as active principle, at least one sesquiterpene lactone or an analog of sesquiterpene lactones in a physiologically acceptable medium suitable for topical application.

2. Composition according to claim 1 such that the sesquiterpene lactone is chosen from the group consisting of helenaline, dihydrohélénahne, parthenolide, cnicine and their derivatives.

3. Composition according to one of claims 1 or 2 as it is obtained from an extract of a plant of the plant species of the family of

Asteracae, preferably an extract of Arnica montana, Tanacetum parthenium or Cnicus benedictus.

4. Composition according to one of the preceding claims such that the plant extract is an extract from the flower or from the aerial parts of the plant.

5. Composition according to one of the preceding claims, such that the extract is obtained by the process comprising the following stages: a) extraction of at least part of the plant, in particular the flowers and aerial parts of plants of the family Asteracae, by means of a hydro-organic solution containing an organic solvent miscible with water, followed by the evaporation of said solvent and, b) extraction of the resulting aqueous phase by means of an organic solvent, immiscible with water, then c) recovery of the extract contained in said organic phase.

6. Composition according to claim 5 such that the extract obtained in step c) is purified by chromatography to obtain a phase rich in sesquiterpene lactones.

7. Composition according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is a cosmetic composition intended to treat alopecia, stimulate hair growth, stimulate hair growth and / or treat seborrheic conditions. ^'

8. Use of a composition according to one of claims 1 to 6 for the manufacture of a medicament intended to treat alopecia, stimulate hair growth, stimulate hair growth and / or treat seborrheic conditions.

9. Process for the preparation of a plant extract from the family of

Asteracae comprising at least one sesquiterpene lactone, characterized in that it comprises the following stages: a) extraction of at least part of the plant, in particular the flowers and aerial parts of plants of the Asteracae family, by means of a hydro-organic solution containing an organic solvent miscible with water, followed by the evaporation of said solvent and, b) extraction of the resulting aqueous phase by means of an organic solvent, immiscible with water, then c ) recovery of the extract contained in said organic phase.

10. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the extract obtained in step c) is purified by chromatography to obtain a phase rich in sesquiterpene lactones.

11. Cosmetic treatment method, characterized in that a composition according to one of claims 1 to 8 is applied topically.